Buying and selling people as slaves was a very profitable venture because slave labor earned money for the slaveholders.

The practice of slavery was based on the idea that people could be bought and sold as property.

Venture was a threat to his slaveholder because of his strength and will.

The money from Venture's many different occupations made it possible for him to buy his freedom and his family's freedom.

Slave families were broken up when a slaveholder only wanted to purchase a few slaves at a time.